What would higher education look like if it were designed from the beginning for students who need education to be affordable, flexible, relevant, and immediately useful?

In Part 1 of our conversation with Brian Ashton, president of BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and Boyd Baggett, associate academic vice president for curriculum at BYU-Idaho, we explore a model now serving nearly 100,000 students around the world.

Brian and Boyd explain how BYU-Pathway combines online-first design, dramatically different tuition models, student support, and job-ready stackable certificates to create pathways into meaningful work and bachelor's degrees. We also discuss how designing specifically for online education changes the economics of higher education—and how BYU-Pathway uses data, instructional design, and AI to support students at scale.

Along the way, Brian shares the story of a student in Argentina whose first certificate helped launch a career that eventually led to a vice president role at JPMorgan Chase.

In this episode:

• Why talent may be equally distributed while opportunity is not
• How BYU-Pathway serves students in nearly 200 countries
• Designing for online learning rather than adapting a campus model
• Keeping education affordable while maintaining quality
• Why students begin with job-ready certificates instead of general education
• How stackable certificates lead toward associate and bachelor's degrees
• Using data and AI to provide better student support at scale
• Designing curriculum around changing labor-market needs
• Preparing students not simply to use AI, but to develop judgment and become lifelong learners

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. In Part 2, we explore one of BYU-Idaho and BYU-Pathway's most significant innovations: the three-year bachelor's degree.

Guests: Brian Ashton, President, BYU-Pathway Worldwide; Boyd Baggett, Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum, BYU-Idaho

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What does it take to build a nationally competitive cybersecurity program from the ground up?

Dr. Ken Williams knows firsthand.

In the final episode of this series, Ken shares the challenges of launching Louisiana's first fully aligned cybersecurity degree program—from curriculum design and faculty hiring to building industry partnerships and preparing students for careers with organizations like the FBI, NASA, Cisco, IBM, and Amazon Web Services.

The conversation closes with Ken's deeply personal philosophy of teaching: treating every student like family while challenging them to become confident critical thinkers who are ready to solve problems the world hasn't even imagined yet.

It's an inspiring conversation about leadership, service, and creating educational experiences that truly change lives.

In this episode

• Launching Southern University's cybersecurity program
• Building a degree program from scratch
• Hiring and developing cybersecurity faculty
• Creating partnerships with industry leaders
• Preparing students for careers in government and technology
• Louisiana's statewide cybersecurity consortium
• Lessons in educational leadership
• How to engage more learners more effectively

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

Artificial intelligence is transforming cybersecurity, but it isn't replacing cybersecurity professionals.

It's making their work even more essential.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Dr. Ken Williams explains how AI is fundamentally changing both cyber defense and cyber attacks. Through practical stories and easy-to-understand analogies, he explores zero-day vulnerabilities, phishing attacks, ransomware, digital identity, and why cybersecurity has become one of the most critical professions in modern society.

Ken also shares how industry certifications, academic programs, and real-world experience must work together to prepare students for careers that will continue evolving alongside AI.

Whether you're an educator, technology leader, or simply someone trying to understand today's cybersecurity landscape, this episode offers valuable insight into where the future is headed.

In this episode

• Building a cybersecurity academy near Quantico
• Why certifications matter alongside degrees
• Closing the gap between academia and industry
• Understanding zero-day vulnerabilities
• AI's impact on cybersecurity
• The evolving threat of phishing and ransomware
• Why cybersecurity careers are growing—not disappearing
• How AI is reshaping national security

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What does military communications in the Gulf War have to do with educating tomorrow's cybersecurity professionals?

Quite a lot.

In Part 1 of this conversation, Vernon Smith sits down with Dr. Ken Williams to explore an extraordinary career that spans military service, cybersecurity leadership, and higher education innovation. Ken shares how leading communications teams in the Army during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm shaped his philosophy of leadership, preparation, and mission-critical thinking.

The conversation then shifts to higher education, where Ken discusses earning the prestigious NSA Center of Academic Excellence designation, redesigning cybersecurity curriculum around real workforce needs, and helping pioneer an accelerated three-year bachelor's degree that reduced costs while maintaining academic quality.

If you've ever wondered how higher education can better prepare students for today's rapidly changing workforce, this episode offers a compelling blueprint.

In this episode

• Ken's journey from Guyana to the U.S. Army
• Building communications infrastructure during the Gulf War
• Leadership lessons from the military
• Why cybersecurity education needed to change
• The NSA Center of Academic Excellence program
• Connecting curriculum to real workforce skills
• Designing an innovative three-year cybersecurity degree
• Lessons from collaborating across higher education systems

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

How do you help educators adapt, grow, and thrive in a rapidly changing world?

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Kimberly Jacobs, we explore lessons learned from decades of faculty development, leadership, and change management. Kim shares insights from her work leading the Center for Teaching and Learning at American Public University System, where she supported thousands of faculty members as they developed new teaching practices, adopted emerging technologies, and improved student engagement.

The conversation also explores coaching, professional development, AI, online learning, and the ongoing challenge of helping educators embrace change while remaining focused on student success.

In this episode:

•  Why great subject matter experts aren't always trained teachers 
•  The importance of learning methodology and adult learning theory 
•  Coaching versus telling in faculty development 
•  Building effective professional development programs 
•  Faculty readiness for AI and emerging technologies 
•  Lessons learned from large-scale change initiatives 
•  Rethinking general education for modern learners 
•  Why meaningful learning happens one person at a time 

Key Takeaway

Effective educational leadership isn't about changing everyone at once. It's about building relationships, creating opportunities for growth, and helping each learner move forward from where they are today.

#highereducation #facultydevelopment #leadership #onlinelearning #artificialintelligence #changemanagement #engagedbydesign

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What does a lifetime devoted to teaching look like?

In Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. Kimberly Jacobs, we explore her remarkable journey from aspiring classroom teacher to one of the pioneers of online higher education. Kim reflects on her early days helping build courses for a young American Military University, her passion for working with adult learners, and the experiences that shaped her leadership in faculty development.

We also discuss her current work as a literacy volunteer in rural Virginia, where she's helping first-grade students develop reading skills and confidence. Along the way, Kim shares powerful insights about learning, service, and the joy of helping individuals discover their potential.

In this episode:

•  Kim's path into higher education and online learning 
•  Building courses during the early days of online education 
•  Why she loves working with beginning learners 
•  The connection between literacy and lifelong success 
•  Volunteering with first-grade readers in her local community 
•  Lessons from a career spent helping others learn and grow 

Key Takeaway

Transformation happens one learner at a time. Whether working with first graders or adult students, meaningful education begins with meeting people where they are and helping them take the next step forward.

#highereducation #onlinelearning #literacy #leadership #facultydevelopment #engagedbydesign

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

As technology accelerates, what becomes more important, not less, in leadership?

In this final part of our conversation with Dr. Jennifer Douglas, we explore the human side of leadership in a rapidly changing, AI-driven world.

Jenny helps us uncover the hidden patterns that hold leaders back, especially high achievers who appear successful on the outside but feel stuck or isolated internally. From the belief that “I’m not enough” to the loneliness that often comes with leadership, this conversation brings those challenges into the open.

We also take a clear-eyed look at AI in leadership—where it helps, where it falls short, and why human judgment and connection still matter deeply.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The hidden beliefs that drive overwork, burnout, and self-doubt
• Why leadership can feel isolating, and how to build real support
• How unconscious patterns shape decisions and behavior
• A real example of how AI can create dehumanizing experiences
• The limits of AI in decision-making and meaning-making
• Why “human-in-the-loop” leadership is essential
• How leaders can thoughtfully adopt AI without losing their values

We close with a powerful reminder:
 People engage more deeply when they can connect learning to their own story.

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What if the biggest challenge in leadership isn’t strategy, but managing yourself?

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Jennifer Douglas, we shift from external leadership skills to the internal work that makes great leadership possible.

Jenny shares why so many high-performing leaders struggle under pressure—and what’s often missing from traditional leadership development. The answer isn’t more frameworks. It’s learning how to integrate your thinking, emotions, and physical well-being into how you lead.

This episode is especially practical, with tools you can use immediately.

We explore:

• Why leaders often feel overwhelmed—even when they’re successful
• The gap in leadership development around whole-person well-being
• How a coaching mindset unlocks better thinking and stronger teams
• What happens in the brain under stress (and why it matters)
• Simple, actionable techniques to manage stress in real time
• How to “zoom out” of your internal monologue and regain control
• A powerful visualization exercise to release tension and refocus

One standout idea: many leaders are operating like a phone with “20 apps running in the background,” draining their capacity without realizing it.

In Part 3, we will expand the conversation outward, exploring leadership, loneliness, and what it means to lead humans in an AI-driven world.

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What shapes a leader long before they ever step into a leadership role?

In this first part of our conversation with Dr. Jennifer “Jenny” Douglas, we explore the formative experiences that influence how leaders think, learn, and lead. From her upbringing in rural Pennsylvania to her work in higher education leadership, Jenny shares how work ethic, community, and lifelong learning laid the foundation for her leadership approach.

We also dive into a powerful idea: writing is thinking. As Jenny explains, the way we structure our thoughts—on paper and in conversation—directly impacts how we lead. In a world increasingly shaped by AI tools, that connection matters more than ever.

Along the way, we explore:

• How early experiences shape leadership mindset and resilience
• Why community and connection still matter in modern leadership
• The link between writing, thinking, and decision-making
• The risks of outsourcing too much thinking to AI tools
• How systems thinking helps leaders collaborate more effectively

This episode sets the stage for a deeper conversation about leadership, self-awareness, and navigating complexity in today’s world.

In Part 2, we will shift inward, exploring coaching, stress, and the inner work of leadership.

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

UDL often comes with a sense of pressure: more to do, more to build, more to manage.

In Part 2, Michelle Patterson helps us move past that overwhelm by reframing UDL as an iterative, human-centered design process. Instead of trying to do everything, she introduces practical ways to start small—what she calls the “plus one” approach.

The conversation also explores:

• How systems and leadership support reduce faculty burden
• Why learner choice increases depth and quality of work
• How AI can help identify hidden barriers in course design
• What it really means to balance firm goals with flexible paths

If you’ve ever wondered how to make UDL doable—not theoretical—this episode offers a grounded path forward.

Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator 
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education